How to Know When You Need a Water Softener System for Your Home

What is hard water?

At first glance, the phrase "hard water" may seem like a bit of a contradiction. After all, isn't water that's hardened just called ice?

When it comes to your home's plumbing, hard water simply refers to water with a higher level of dissolved minerals—especially calcium and magnesium. These minerals can build up over time in your appliances
and water fixtures and can quite literally harden into a visible coating. Because of this potential buildup, hard water is also innately harder for most water heaters, appliances, and water fixtures to process.

Hard water is not dangerous and it won't have a negative impact on your health if you drink it. It can even provide some extra boost of vitamins that humans need.

Some people find that hard water dries out their skin or hair, which can be annoying and uncomfortable—especially for those with sensitivities. However, hard water does not have any other negative health
impacts to be concerned about.

It isn't a matter of safety, but of comfort and saving money, that makes water softeners so appealing to so many.

How to Know Whether You Have Hard Water or Soft Water

Figuring out whether you have hard water or soft water is actually pretty easy in most cases. Just look for the below signs.

You likely have hard water if:

• Your dishes are coming out cloudy or your silverware has water spots.
• Washing your hands leaves them feeling like they have a film over them.
• Your water pressure isn't very strong.
• Your clothes sometimes come out of the washing machine with unexplained stains.

You likely have soft water if:

• Your water pressure is strong.
• Your hands or skin feel slimy longer when you're washing them, like you can't quite get the soap off.
• Glass dishes come out perfectly clear and silverware rarely if ever has water spots.

While only having one of the above signs doesn't necessarily mean you have one or the other, if you have multiple (or all of them) from a list, it's a pretty safe assumption to make. You can also get a free professional water test with companies such as Culligan. They will help you determine your water's softness, any potential contaminants, and more. Just be sure to get a second opinion before shelling out for any pricey solution from whatever company tests the water.

What makes water "soft"?

Simply put, soft water is merely water with less minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Whereas hard water can add stress to appliances and plumbing fixtures, soft water doesn't leave the same mineral
deposits or buildup, so there's less wear and tear over time. Your water heater, washing machine, and dishwasher may have a noticeably longer lifespan because of this, which can certainly add up over time.

While there technically is naturally "soft" water, the majority of American homes have plumbing that uses hard water. For those who want to soften the water, a water softening system is required.

At a basic level, most of these systems filter out the minerals of the water and replace them with sodium. It makes the water feel more slick or slimy to some, but also is easier to use in cleaning and often considered softer on hair and skin. It can also help the water pressure be stronger.

This doesn't mean that everything about water softening is good. A water softener system must be monitored regularly to replace salt, make sure it's working, and be kept clean to avoid fungi or mold.

Despite being gentler on appliances, soft water can actually corrode metal pipes over time, which can cause lead and copper to contaminate your drinking water for those with metal pipes (which are especially common in older homes).

The salt used in these devices isn't great for the environment, either, because there is no easy way to remove sodium from drinking water — a teaspoon of sodium chloride salt will permanently pollute five
gallons of water. This environmental impact is being discussed more and more, with some municipalities in California, Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico banning them or heavily restricting the type of system that may be used.

Lastly, because these systems typically replace naturally occurring minerals with sodium, they shouldn't be used for those with high blood pressure and other sodium-sensitive conditions.

Which is better — hard water or soft water?

Let's be clear here: there is no "best" type of water. As long as it's clean and free of pollutants, congratulations, you have clean water that you can drink and use for cleaning. That said, there are pros
and cons to each that make one better suited for a particular home than the other.

Hard Water Pros:

• Adds minerals like calcium and magnesium to your daily routine without taking vitamins or changing eating habits
• Better for the environment
• Better for older and metal pipes

Hard Water Cons:

• Appliances may have shorter lifespans and work harder to process the water
• Dishes tend to come out less than clear or have some water spots
• Skin and hair can be dried out by the minerals in the water

Soft Water Pros:

• Stronger water pressure
• Gentler on sensitive skin and hair
• Dishes and glassware will come out cleaner and scale around sinks, tubs, and showers will be less likely

Soft Water Cons:

• Most add sodium to water, which can be harmful to those with medical conditions like high blood pressure
• Regular maintenance and monitoring is required to make sure that the system is working properly and stays clean and free of fungi or mold
• Can corrode metal pipes over time, which can cause metal contamination in drinking water
• Sodium additions are harmful to the environment and may be banned in some places

Is water softening the same as water treatment?

No. Water softening changes the mineral content, but it does not remove pollutants or contaminants like PFAs. If you're worried about the safety of your drinking water, you'll want to look into water
filtration systems instead.

Water Softening vs. Water Conditioning

Water softening and water conditioning are not the same, but they aren't exclusive from one another either. As Culligan puts it, "All water softeners are conditioners, but not all water conditioners are
softeners."

The biggest difference is that water conditioners seek to lessen the negative impact of hard water whereas water softeners literally remove and replace the minerals within the water. Unlike softeners, water conditioners may use no electricity and produce no waste. However, they also won't be as effective at preventing hard water issues like scale.